


A Green-Eyed Monster

by edgy_fluffball



Series: Tumblr prompts [2]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: Family Dinner, Fluff, Food Sharing, Jealousy, M/M, Non-exclusive relationship, Tumblr Prompt, night out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 19:51:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17535149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgy_fluffball/pseuds/edgy_fluffball
Summary: BoRhap family dinner. When Roger and Brian invite, everyone manages to free some time in their busy schedules. What happens at the restaurant, though, is down to every single one of them when Ben has to confront the nature of his relationship.





	A Green-Eyed Monster

No one even remembered the occasion, afterwards. By the time they arrived in London and set up camp, the talk about where to go and what to eat took over from flimsy excuses they found to assure their presence. The only thing that mattered was that Brian and Roger had invited them to a band reunion and of course they came. Shovelling time out of their schedules proved easier than expected, Joe informed all of them about the dying family member he had made up, Rami insisted on taking a break with Lucy and Allen was just about to announce that he planned on pretending to break his leg when his schedule was cleared due to an unforeseen but welcome change of plans.

Brian had picked the restaurant, close enough to home for all who stayed in London, rooms for a private function and a plentiful vegetarian menu that all of them could enjoy. They were the first one there with Anita and Sarina launching into a heated discussion of cab drivers, parking spots and brunch places immediately whilst Brian and Roger sat down only to find that they were not capable of sitting still. One of them would always look around the corner where they could just so see the door, fidget in their seat or clear their throat.

‘Stop it,’ Sarina lightly hit Roger’s arm, ‘you are acting like the father who hasn’t seen his child in decades.’

‘Sure feels like it,’ Roger retorted, ‘they never send any messages, anyway. Brian’s not any better.’

‘Don’t start,’ Brian rolled his eyes, ‘oh, I think that’s three of them.’

The door had opened and amidst the icy gust of wind that blew into the restaurant, stood Rami, Lucy and Joe. They blinked into the softly lit restaurant, Brian waved them closer and got out of his seat.

‘Finally,’ Roger sighed, ‘no sign of Ben, of course.’

‘They texted me when they set off,’ Joe hugged him, ‘should be here any second. Good to see you, man.’

‘Sure, sure,’ Roger sat back down and nodded for the three newcomers to join them, ‘they’ll be here in two hours.’

The next one to arrive was Allen who took one look at the gathered and shook his head, ‘Waiting for those two? Some things will never change!’

He sat down and shook hands around the table. Lucy rolled her eyes and played with Rami’s hand in her lap. Anita sighed and waved for the waiter to get their drink order.

‘Might as well get something to drink on the table whilst we’re waiting for the lovebirds,’ she smiled.

‘Lovebirds,’ Roger scoffed, ‘they wish.’

‘Sorry, sorry, we are late and we apologise,’ Gwilym burst through the door, closely followed by Ben, ‘traffic was hell, we should have taken the tube.’

‘Traffic; is that what you call it nowadays?’ Joe cleared his throat with a sound that sounded suspiciously like ‘hickey’ and raised his eyebrow at Gwilym whose hand flew up to tug at his scarf before sitting down next to him.

‘Ben, dear, we saved you a seat,’ Sarina waved for him to sit down next to her and Roger, across the table from Brian, Joe and Gwilym.

Ben let his gaze wander as he made his way around the table, squeezed Rami’s shoulder and patted Joe’s shoulder. His eyes stayed on Gwilym until he sat down opposite from him with a small smile and adjusted the cuffs on his sleeves.

‘Now that everybody is here,’ Brian shot Ben and Gwilym a look, ‘Aaron sends his love, he could not make it, even with an apology but he wishes all of us a good time tonight. I suggest we toast him later on?’

‘Hear, hear,’ Rami grinned and Allen let out a low whistle.

‘So what did we miss?’ Gwilym turned to Joe who readily launched himself into a summary of the last weeks and what had happened since they had last met.

The waiter came back with drinks a few minutes later and Joe interrupted himself long enough to join the toast to Aaron before continuing a story about a porcupine, a bowl of guacamole and a flip flop that had Gwilym in stitches and made Anita shake her head in disbelief. Joe looked satisfied with the effects of his narration and took a sip of water to wet his throat before beginning a new story, this time starring a dazed teenager on his phone, a lamppost and a skateboard. Gwilym was crying with laughter by the time their first course arrived and Joe seemed increasingly pleased with himself. His smug grin as Gwilym was trying to compose himself enough to pick up his cutlery was telling enough when he winked at Ben across the table.

‘What did you get?’

Gwilym swallowed the first bite he had taken, ‘The mushroom pate sliders. You should try them, they are heavenly.’

Saying this, he held out a fork full for Joe to try. He leaned in and took it, chewing for a moment before groaning, ‘Dude, that is amazing! Can I have another bite?’

‘Keep it PG, Joe,’ Rami chuckled, ‘and let Gwil have his food!’

Lucy stole one of his artichokes whilst he was still shaking over the two men on his other side. Joe defiantly held eye contact with Rami as he repeatedly ate what Gwilym held out for him, moaning as he chewed and sounding saucier ever time.

‘Did you enjoy your starter?’ Sarina asked Ben and took his attention off them for a second, ‘And you have to tell me where you got that coat from, dear, I have been looking for a sensible coat for ages.’

He indulged her and for a few more minutes he managed to entertain Sarina and finish his Caprese Salad. It was only when their next course arrived and Sarina’s interest was occupied by her determination to find out which ingredients made up Roger’s risotto that he found himself watching Gwilym and Joe again.

Joe had snuck another fork full of food, this time he had gotten his eyes on Gwilym’s pomegranate and mushroom couscous and he had had at least half of the portion already before he tried his own cauliflower steak. Ben’s eyes widened when he offered Gwilym the second bite.

‘At least this time you offer some compensation,’ Allen laughed, ‘should I get in there as well, Gwil?’

‘Stay on your own plate, Leech,’ Gwilym grinned.

He sat back to answer Brian who asked something about his newest project whilst Joe scooped up more of his food. Ben swallowed dry. Gwilym’s scarf slipped off his right shoulder and the dark bruise underneath it confused his brain into being undecided whether he should drool or feel his throat close up. He remembered his own plate in front of him on the table and dug in, quickly shovelling a fork of it into his mouth without taking in much of a taste. His hair flopped into his eyes and he shoved it out of his face energetically, combing a few fingers through it as he chewed aggressively on something that could have been anything between sweet potato and beetroot.

‘Ben, dear, would you like another drink? That last one didn’t last you long, did it?’ Sarina placed a hand on his arm, trying to gain his attention.

‘Futile,’ Roger grinned, ‘just get him another one, he will remember just how thirsty he is in a second.’

‘Roger Meddows Taylor,’ his wife smacked his arm before turning to the waiter, ‘another one, and please – make it a tall one.’

‘Very well, ma’am.’

‘I haven’t seen anyone glare daggers like this since that time you thought I was getting too friendly with –‘

‘That’s completely irrelevant,’ Roger interrupted her, ‘I stand by my word, however, that poor boy is so lost in thoughts that this whole place could burn down, he wouldn’t move unless Gwil were to leave.’

‘You might just have a point there,’ Allen fumbled for his phone, ‘I have a feeling that this could turn out to be the most entertaining thing I have seen in a long time!’

‘What are you talking about?’ Lucy leaned in, ‘Aren’t Gwil and Joe cute?’

‘They are, but I’m afraid it rather upsets Ben,’ Roger let out a giggle, soft and light enough to catch Brian’s attention.

‘I know that sound, Rog, what are you up to now?’ he followed their looks and raised an eyebrow, ‘Are all of you seriously watching Ben and Joe?’

‘Not Ben and Joe, love,’ Anita cleared her throat, ‘I think you will find that Ben’s interest is predominately occupied by Gwilym.’

For a moment, no one made a noise. The only sound all of them heard was the scratching of a fork on Gwilym’s plate before he raised it for Joe to eat the last bite of his couscous. Joe made a show of it, slipping the fork out of his mouth teasingly slow whilst gazing into the other’s eyes.

‘He’s overdoing it,’ Rami whispered, ‘Gwil has to say something, that’s just ridiculous!’

‘If he doesn’t, Ben’s going to explode,’ Allen grinned with the joy of a schoolboy who had succeeded in gluing his teacher to the chair, ‘and I’m going to film it!’

‘Why is Ben reacting like that,’ Sarina shook her head with a tut, ‘aren’t they exclusive yet?’

This prompted another of Roger’s giggles, ‘No, and I believe that’s part of the problem!’

‘I can’t believe this, you should have grown up enough to make the right call and dissolve this situation,’ Sarina crossed her arms.

‘But I enjoy it too much, look, Ben doesn’t even hear us! He must be truly deep in thoughts.’

‘Brian – can you be the grown up in this scenario, then?’ Sarina all but begged from the man sitting across from her, ‘Just wake them up and make them snap out of it.’

‘Please, Bri,’ Lucy dapped her lips with the napkin, ‘we could finally order dessert.’

‘You have a point there,’ Rami agreed, ‘okay, Bri, try not to spook them.’

There was no need for the dramatic matters Brian could probably have thought of. Just as he prepared to knock on the table next to Gwilym, the near-victim of his attack looked up and met all of their eyes trimmed on him. He stopped short and raised his eyebrows at them, almost questioning.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked, voice laced with confusion, ‘you seem a little distracted.’

‘We? We seem distracted?’ Rami grinned, ‘You were in a different world there, mate.’

‘Away with the fairies,’ Anita chipped in, ‘a lovely meal though, wasn’t it?’

Joe nodded, ‘Absolutely delicious, both Gwil’s and mine!’

Gwilym grinned softly, his gaze moving on. His expression lost a little of its cheerfulness when he reached Ben whose glances across the table were stony and motionless. Gwilym frowned and lingered for a moment. His hand moved to push his scarf back around his neck.

‘Are you okay, bunny?’

Roger dropped his knife.

Anita and Sarina gasped.

Brian raised one eyebrow.

Rami and Lucy exchanged a baffled look.

Joe started to laugh uncontrollably.

Allen whispered a quiet, ‘Jackpot!’

And Ben, snapping out of a state of dazedness, went bright red, taking after the sundried tomatoes Lucy had left on her plate.

‘Bunny?’ Joe gasped out, folded in half like a penknife, slapping his thighs, ‘Bunny? Are you guys serious? Are you fucking serious, you call him ‘bunny’? Of all the things you could call him?’

A realisation lit up his face as he looked from Gwilym to Ben, ‘Oh – oh! I’m so sorry.’

With a last sway on his chair, he dove under the table top to retrieve the fork he had dropped. Gwilym seemed confused for another couple of seconds before the epiphany reached him as well. He shook his head softly and leaned forward a little, towards Ben.

‘Are you jealous?’

‘No,’ Ben put his hands up, ‘feed Joe all you want, I just didn’t know you were into PDA that much.’

‘Depends on your definition of PDA,’ Gwilym fumbled with his bracelet, ‘Is it PDA when it’s in front of family?’

Ben’s confused, ‘No?’ was cut short when Gwilym got up, rounded the table and pulled him to his feet. He kissed him, a plain kiss on the lips, hands cupping his neck. Ben closed his eyes when he felt Gwilym deepen their kiss, let himself being pulled closer and hugged tighter, melted into the familiar touch and could not help the small whimper that escaped his lips, a sound so needy and desperate that he blushed even more.

He broke the kiss off carefully, hunting the taste on his lips, the closest he got to sharing Gwilym’s meal. A few dark spots danced in front of his eyes and he braced himself against the body still in his reach. Gwilym looked down on him with bright, glistening eyes, a smile tugging at his mouth. Something in his look made him want to cling to him and not let go again. And within the adoration he read in his eyes, he found the courage to voice what he had wanted to tell Gwilym for what felt like eternities.

‘I don’t want you to fucking look at anyone but me, from now on,’ it came out quieter than he had intended and it took the edge off the curse. As he said them, he realised how possessive his words had to sound to anybody else who heard them.

Gwilym, however, looked at him with a fervent look, squeezed his hands and pulled him into another kiss, ‘Never again. Promise.’

‘Yes, jackpot, I got it all secured for eternity,’ Allen yelled and lowered his phone, only to be tackled by Joe in an attempt to save that footage, ‘what, all of a sudden you do your own thing again?’

Joe made a face and stuck his tongue out at him, ‘Can’t have Gwil look at me anymore, what should I do now?’

Rami shrugged, ‘Go back to Cardboard Ben?’

Joe puffed himself up and started to lecture him on the importance of addressing his souvenir by its proper name, finishing on a temperamental, ‘His name is Ben Cardy and you know that! Stop disrespecting the love of my life!’

‘These kids,’ Brian sighed and turned to the waiter that had approached their table again, We’ll have ten portions of the tiramisu. If they don’t eat them, I will.’

Ben and Gwilym did not hear any of their bickering. They had built their own bubble in which they held onto each other, exchanging kisses and sweet nothings. Ben clung to Gwilym’s arms, pressing his lips wherever he could get them. He was comfortably enveloped in a hug that made him feel warm and fuzzy.

‘Hey Ben,’ Gwilym kissed the tip of his nose, ‘I love you. Even when you’re jealous.’

‘Love you, too,’ Ben nipped at the already bruised skin on his neck, ‘even when I’m jealous.’

Behind them, Sarina nudged Roger with a wide grin, ‘Hear that? Now they are exclusive!’

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr as edgy-fluffball.


End file.
